Greater Noida:
Rahul Gandhi rode pillion on a motorcyle just before dawn on Wednesday, to meet farmers protesting against the Uttar Pradesh government's land acquisition policy. He visited Bhatta Parsaul, the village in Greater Noida that has seen violent clashes between the police and farmers in the last few days.
It was around 4 am and dark when the Congress general secretary drove into Bhatta Parsaul and the strong police force deployed there apparently failed to notice him.
(Watch: The aam admi's Rahul Gandhi) It was only when he began meeting farmers and heard their grievances that the policemen recognised the young Congress leader, who has often slipped out of his security cordon in the past to meet people. The identity of the person driving the motorcycle was not known immediately.
An elderly woman told the AICC General Secretary how "brutally PAC men had manhandled women members of her family in the name of conducting a search" after the clashes broke out.
Another elderly man showed injuries on his body allegedly inflicted by policemen with batons.
Rahul assured the farmers of his full support and promised that they would get proper land compensation, villagers said.
The villagers said the Congress leader blamed the Mayawati government for "atrocities committed on farmers", and requested the farmers to shun violence.
Bhatta Parsaul, in the suburbs of the national Capital, has turned into a political battleground for parties after four people, including two policemen, were killed in Saturday's clashes between police and farmers. The Opposition has flayed the UP government for its land acquisition policy.
Farmers in Greater Noida and adjoining areas are demanding more compensation from the Mayawati government for their land.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had yesterday assured a delegation of Rashtriya Lok Dal leaders in Delhi that the government will move the crucial bill to amend the Land Acquisition Act in the coming session of Parliament.
Condemning police action on farmers in Gautam Buddha Nagar, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had yesterday demanded that a new law for rehabilitation of people displaced by land acquisition should be framed.
"Taking farmers' land at a cheaper rates and permitting industrialists to misuse it is wrong," Joshi had said.
In the wake of the ongoing agitation over land acquisition, farmers held a panchayat under the leadership of Jitender Nagar in Mahrauli village of Ghaziabad district yesterday and refused to part with their land.
The farmers went on a door-to-door campaign to mobilise support and asked villagers to press the government to give them their acquired land back.
Rahul, who is the MP from Amethi in UP, had last year visited Tappal Village in Aligarh district taking the local police by surprise when he went to meet farmers who had launched a protest demanding higher compensation for the land acquired by the Mayawati government for the Yamuna Expressway project.
BJP, SP slam Rahul Gandhi for visit to Bhatta Parsaul villageThe BJP has slammed Rahul Gandhi for his visit to Bhatta Parsaul village. "I would like to remind you that Rahul earlier went to Tapal Gaon of Aligarh also. He had said that in the next Parliament session, the land acquisition amendment bill will be brought in. What has happened now? None of the bills have been bought to the Parliament. I want answers to all this," said BJP leader Rajnath Singh.
(Watch)The Samajwadi Party also hit out at the Congress leader. "Rahul Gandhi is sitting there on protest. Nothing will happen if he keeps sitting there. The Central government needs to take some steps and if Rahul Gandhi wants, this can be done. The Central government should compensate the farmers," said Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.